


The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule's Resurrection (Rewrite)

by LoZFan96



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoZFan96/pseuds/LoZFan96
Summary: Hyrule has been taken over by Ganondorf, and every Hylian, enslaved. After the Hero is born into this world, the fate of all those in Hyrule is put on the line!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of the original fan fiction "The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule's Resurrection" that can be found on Fan fiction.net.
> 
> I plan on uploading chapters here, Fanfiction.net, and Wattpad. I had planned on waiting until after I wrote all the "introduction" chapters to begin posting, but I wanted to release the first chapter here as a "test-post" of sorts, so I know the process when it comes to starting a new story. That said, I may upload the second chapter as well so I know the process for updating stories on this site. After I this chapter (and possibly the second), I won't be posting again until I finish the rest of the "intro" chapters.

Chapter 1

The World They Lived In

* * *

Link frowned at the pain in his feet, introduced by the change from the outside dirt, to the hardwood floor of the toolshed he called his home.

"Hi, brother!"

Link glanced at his younger sister, Linkle, who was turning five the next day. That meant she would have to start working, just like he did.

He knew that her happy-go-lucky attitude wouldn't last long. He knew that being around...them...would break her, just like it did everyone else.

People like him; people like his sister...those with long ears...they were cursed to a lifetime of servitude to people who treated them worse than any animal, worse than even the monsters roaming the fields of Hyrule.

No...they were the true monsters... Those with rounded ears...

The Humans...

In Hyrule, people like Link and Linkle - whom are referred to as "Elves" by the Humans - work as slaves for the Humans from the day they turn five, to the day they can no longer work, when they are executed. Up until their fifth birthday, they are taught to read by their parents, or an assigned caregiver, due to some jobs requiring a slave to be literate. Other - more common - jobs include a variety of manual labor, sex, and even lab rats for a plethora of medical and scientific experiments. Slaves become eligible for manual labor and experimentation at age five, and for work of a sexual nature at age sixteen. Originally, they were only eligible at eighteen, but this was changed due to the high suicide rates of adult slaves, that mainly stemmed from the increase in workload, and the punishment they endured for not meeting the high standards of those who owned them.

Link knew that this was the fate that awaited his sister. And that's why he decided not to coddle her behavior like their mother.

"Mom!" Linkle shouted excitedly. She jumped to her feet to greet her mother with a tight hug.

Some would say Link and Linkle's mother had an easy job, because she didn't have to work in the fields or in a kitchen like many other slaves did.

On the other hand, though, others would say that she had the hardest job of all, because she was the sole housekeeper of their owner's household.

The owner of the slaves that lived on this particular territory was a wealthy Human named Philip, who many would consider a "religious" man.

"Here's your share." Link said as he brought a bowl of "food" to his mother.

The slaves were usually fed food that their owners did not want. From pig feet to nearly rotten fruit, and nearly stale bread, the slaves were forced to eat whatever they were given, or they risked starvation at the least, and severe punishment at the worst. When they were to be fed, either the slaves' owners or another Human who worked for them would bring food and the appropriate eating utensils and watch over the slaves as they got their shares, and as they are eating. Slaves who stole food from another, or took more than their share were punished however their owner saw fit.

The trio ate their food in a glum silence. The slaves rarely spoke in the presence of a Human.

After sundown, Link sat against a wall, and listened to the sudden downpour of rain, and let it drown out his otherwise bitter thoughts of his life, and the Humans who made him feel that way.

"Listen," he heard his mother say to Linkle, "tomorrow, you'll start working, like me and your brother. It's _very important_ that you listen to what you're told to do, no matter what it is!"

Linkle nodded with the innocent smile that seemed permanently etched on her face.

"And when you're done working, you look for your brother, and the two of you come _straight_ home! Understand?"

Link turned to his mother and sister to watch. As his mother went on, he could his the smile begin to fade from Linkle's face. Perhaps she was finally beginning to understand the situation she was in.

Linkle's mother gave her a long, tight hug after concluding her instructions. "Good night, dear." she almost whispered before she finally let go.

"You forgot to kiss me goodnight, Mom." the girl responded.

Link turned away to watch the rain. He sighed. Was this all there was to life? To _his_ life?

* * *

Morning time was usually the only time the slaves would see Philip. The man owned a large sum of land, and has his slaves' living quarters located at several points throughout his property, each group assigned to different tasks. Link and Linkle were tasked with fieldwork. Philip's morning routine usually entailed going to each of his groups of slaves to do a roll call.

Philip walked down the line made by his slaves, marking names on a sheet of paper supported by a clipboard as "present" as he passed those the names belonged to.

"I see I have a new pair of hands." Philip said as he paused in front of Linkle.

The girl stared at her feet as her owner towered over her. Her mother made sure to instruct her to never look Philip in the eye.

"Jeremy," he continued, "take her to the left field, and make sure she knows what she's doing."

"Let's go." called Jeremy, one of Philip's Human workers. Linkle hesitated. After a nervous glance at her mother, she went on her way, along with her brother, and several other young slaves.

* * *

Ordinarily, slaves were to work from just after sunrise, to just before sundown, only getting breaks when nature calls.

Linkle's job was originally to plant seeds into her assigned part of a large field, along with other young slaves. Due to the previous night's rain, however, she and her workmates were separated, and moved to other parts of the field. Linkle was moved to the same part of the field as her brother.

"Since you won't be planting seeds today," Jeremy explained to Linkle, "you'll be helping these ones trim the leaves of these crops. If you cut too low, we'll kick your ass. If you move too slow, we'll kick your ass. If you talk unless it's an emergency, we'll kick your ass. Get the picture?"

Linkle nodded as she struggled to maintain a grip on the dull scythe given to her.

"And if you all don't trim this entire section," Jeremy called to the rest of the slaves, "not only will you get your asses kicked, but you won't be eating tonight. Am I understood?."

Silence...

"Good. Now get to work."

The manual labor Philip put his slaves through was designed to leave his slaves without an ounce of energy at the end of the day. This was mainly to keep the adults from turning against him. This strategy worked well on said adults, and even more so on children.

Hours into her day, Linkle gave a weary sigh. Her limbs were beginning to ache from her repetitive movements before she spotted one of the Humans assigned to watch over she and the other slaves on the field walking by her.

"Excuse me," she called, "I'm tired. Can I-"

_SMACK!_

The force of the blow sent the girl onto her rear. She covered her cheek in shock.

"...Why did you hit me?" she asked, "I jus-"

Linkle's words were then met with a boot to the face.

"Quit your bitching." the Human told her, "Any more out of you, and these leaves won't be the only things that get cut today. Now get to work."

Link paused to glance at his sister as she held in her sobs, her face now covered with mud and possibly worse. He sighed as he turned his attention back to his work. A growing part of him truly sympathized for his sister. But this was her life now, and even she had no other choice but to adapt to it.

* * *

After work, as instructed by his mother, Link went to look for Linkle, having been separated while performing their duties. He found her in no time at all, seated against a short wooden fence used to separate the field from the dirt road they were on.

"Come on." he told her.

Linkle glanced up at her brother. He could see how tired she was from just one day of work by the sullen look in her eye.

"Carry me?" she barely squeaked as she reached for him.

"No." Link told her. "Get up. We need to go home and eat."

Linkle lowered her head, "...Do you and Mom go through this everyday?"

Link paused, "...Yeah. It was easier today because we had more people in the field."

"...I'm sorry." Linkle apologized suddenly.

"For what?"

"I was thinking about how I always bothered you and Mom after you got home. It must have been annoying to put up with me after going through all of this..."

Link blinked in disbelief, " _That's_ what you're upset about?"

Linkle hesitated before she barely nodded. "I'm sorry..." she apologized again.

"...Let's go." Link told her again.

"Okay..."

* * *

Unlike many past moons, Link, Linkle, and their mother ate in a silence that continued for an hour past their finishing of their meals. Linkle's mother would finally break the silence after an hour of hesitation.

"How was it today?" she asked.

"It was terrible." Linkle answered, her head lowered, "I never want to work like that again."

Linkle's mother stared silently for a moment. She elected to not further the conversation.

Hours later, night had fallen. The moon rose and broke through the darkness of the tool shed. Though, it failed to penetrate the collective darkness of the hearts of those who lived inside.

Every night, Linkle and her family slept close together for warmth near the left wall adjacent to the entrance, facing inside the shed. Her mother would always sleep closest to the entrance, with Linkle in the middle, and Link closest to the corner.

Lying on her back, Linkle stared at the ceiling for hours until she looked to her left at her brother. She poked him gently on the shoulder once. Then she nudged him.

He was asleep.

"Mom?" she barely spoke.

"Yes?" she answered. She always made it a point to not sleep until she knew her children were asleep as well.

"Does brother have a hard time at work?"

"...Yes. We all do. Why do you ask?"

"...Is...that why he's always mad?"

Linkle's mother stared forward as she lie on her back, choosing her words carefully. "No." she said.

"Then...does he hate me?"

"No, dear."

"Then why is he always angry?"

Silence...

...

...

"...You don't remember your dad...do you?"

"No."

"...Well...your brother wasn't always 'angry' like you say he is."

"...What happened?"

"Your father died. Four years ago. He was beaten to death by three boys, and...your brother never got over it."

Linkle stared for a moment. "Why did they kill him?" she asked.

Silence...

"...Linkle...dear... Sometimes people treat you differently because you look different from them. Have you noticed that all of us in here have long ears?"

"Yeah?"

"And that the people who tell you what to do have round ears?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...that's why they killed him. Because he was different."

Linkle thought for a moment, "...Mom?"

"Hm?"

"...One of those people with long ears...were mean to me..."

"What did they do?"

"I was going to ask him if I could take a break, and then he hit me... Was it because I have long ears?"

Linkle's mother knew the answer - it was obvious - but she couldn't force it past her lips. She turned and pulled her daughter into an embrace. She knew this world was cruel, she knew her daughter had many, many harsh days ahead of her, and she knew that she couldn't protect her from any of them.

But she couldn't help it. This was the world they were born into.

This was the world the lived in.


	2. Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linkle continues with to deal with the realities of her life as a slave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this chapter here to see the process of updating stories on this site. After this, no more chapters will be uploaded until I finish the rest of the introductory chapters, and I begin posting on FF.net, and Wattpad.

Not much is known about Hyrule's past. After the Humans enslaved its inhabitants about five-hundred years ago, many of the records of Hyrule's past beyond that point had been destroyed. Not a single slave currently alive knows anything about Hyrule's true history.

However, there exists a single document that featured a **first-hand account** of Hyrule's past, and the enslavement of its people as it happened. Unfortunately, though, it was lost sixteen years ago, and anyone who had read it at any point is deceased.

* * *

Linkle glanced upwards, towards the cloudy heavens.

Heaven...if one existed, it had certainly turned its back on her kind.

"Get back to work!"

Linkle jolted at the pained scream of a child the row behind her, her fingers rushing to plant the bundle of seeds in her hands.

One would never believe how much Linkle's outlook on things changed within the last twenty-four hours. She thought of her conversation with her mother the previous night for hours.

_"Sometimes people treat you differently because you look different from them."_

How difficult must it have been for her mother? Linkle had only experienced this misery for one day. Her mother must have experienced it for so much longer...

After work, Linkle and her brother found one another, and set off on their way home without a word.

The thick cloud layer above greatly diminished the light of day, resulting in the world around the siblings to take on a gloomy look and feel. It was the perfect match for how Linkle saw the wor-

She paused. Near the base of a tree she was walking by stood a bunch of small flowers, surrounded by some mud puddles; residue of the rain shower two nights ago. The flowers were small, yes...but the shade of white its petals boasted was mesmerizing.

That's it! This flower would be just the thing that would brighten her mother's day!

Linkle jogged over to the tree for a closer look, when another girl, who looked to be her age, appeared from around its thick trunk. The dress she wore was almost as lovely as the flowers it stole Linkle's attention from.

Linkle gasped, "What's that your wearing?" she asked, "It's beautiful!"

Linkle tore her gaze away from the dress, and froze at what she saw next.

Round ears.

The girl paused as she saw who had spoken to her.

"It's pretty, isn't?" she agreed, "I'd give it to you, but not even this can make up for those ugly ears!"

Linkle flinched as the words pierced her heart. A smirk spread across the girl's face, seeing that her insult had its intended effect.

Linkle's head lowered.

Oh, right. The flowers.

As Linkle crouched to pick one, the girl eased closer to her, her hands raised in preparation to shove Linkle into the nearby mud puddle.

After picking the flower, Linkle rose and went on her way, just as the girl thrust her arms. She lost balance, and fell forward, into the puddle of mud.

Linkle jumped, startled at the sound of the girl landing into the mud.

"Are you okay?!" she asked as she rushed to the girl's side.

The girl rolled onto her rear, and surveyed her now muddy dress with wide eyes. She began to sob.

"JUST GO!" she shouted at Linkle.

Without a word, Linkle obliged, and dashed away, flower in hand.

* * *

"Where were you?" Link asked his sister when she arrived home.

Linkle painted, "I was picking this flower for Mom! She's gonna love it!"

Link watched his sister give her first smile since yesterday morning. After what she's been through over the last day, and she still thought so quickly to do something for someone else? And smile while doing it?

He turned away. He couldn't understand that girl if he tried.

"Mom!" 

Linkle jumped up to her feet, as soon as she saw her mother, who was surprised at her daughter's demeanor.

"I got you this flower, Mom! Isn't it pretty?!"

"It is, dear." her mother said with a smile, "Thank you."

She lowered herself and took Linkle into her arms. The girl snuggled into the embrace with a content smile, truly feeling like she improved her mother's day.

" _That_ one!"

Link, Linkle, and their mother turned to the entrance to see a small girl in a muddy white dress, pointing at Linkle.

With her was was Philip, and two other Human men.

"That's the ugly Elf who pushed me into the mud puddle, Daddy!"

Philip approached Linkle, and shoved her mother out of the way.

"Do you know who this is?" he asked, pointing at the girl.

Linkle looked up at him, fear and uncertainty widening her eyes.

"N-...No..."

"This is Isabelle..." he said with a hint of a growl in his voice.

"...my daughter. My only daughter. And you pushed her into a puddle?"

"B-...But I didn't-"

Philip's fist slammed into the side of the girl's face. The second she hit the ground, he pulled her upward by her matted locks.

"YOU PUSHED MY DAUGHTER INTO A PUDDLE?!"

Tears of pain and fear rolled down Linkle's cheeks as her wide eyes glanced upward at the enraged man in front of her.

"I didn't do anything!" she sobbed.

Philip turned and flung Linkle towards his two workers. No sooner was he out the shed.

"Bring that little bitch and follow me!" he ordered.

Linkle turned and looked at her mother.

"Mom!" she called as she reached for her in vain, "Mom!"

Linkle's mother watched, frozen as her daughter was taken away from her. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. One of the few things in the world that brought her joy was being dragged away, crying and calling for her all the while. And she was powerless to do anything about it.

Link watched with a scowl on his face. 

He knew what this was. He knew exactly what this was. There was no way someone like Linkle would so much as place her hands on another person, let alone shove them into a puddle. As far as he knew the girl probably tripped and blamed it on his sister. He wouldn't put anything past her kind.

Those Humans...they were all the same.

Sick, hateful, and disgusting creatures... All of them.

* * *

That night, the troubled sobs of Link's mother kept him awake. Whenever he would look at her, she'd be curled into herself, her face hidden by her knees, and her hands grasping at her hair as she sobbed loudly.

The other slaves would hate it when another slave would make too much noise during the nighttime.

But in this case however, they opted to allow the crying woman to grieve. Because at some point in their lives, most of them experienced a situation nearly the same, if not worse than hers.

Linkle was taken to Philip's home, where she was bound to a fence post in his backyard by a pair of chained handcuffs used on her leg. She was never told what would happen to her, nor did she know when they would let her her leave. The night was cold, yet she had no one to keep her warm. As the hours dragged on, she curled into herself for warmth, and lied down on her side.

It was then when her ears twitched at the sound of an opening door.

Moments later, a man in a suit, and a woman in an elegant dress emerged from inside Philip's house. Linkle couldn't tell what shade of white it was through the dark of night.

"So this is her?" the man said to the woman, "Our boy would make minced meat out of this one."

Linkle watched as the two shared a laugh of agreement before the man continued.

"You deserve everything that's coming to you." he said, "Philip is a very respected member of our community. For you to do something like that to his daughter is beyond comprehension. I didn't even think _you_ people would stoop to that level."

"But I didn't do anything to her!" Linkle said.

"So you're telling me our preacher would raise his daughter to lie? You're making me sicker by the second. But that's okay. You'll learn tomorrow morning."

The man turned and head toward the backdoor to Philip's house. Before the woman joined her, she leaned forward and spit on Linkle.

"I didn't do anything..." Linkle muttered to herself. "Why are they doing this?"

Then she remembered.

_"Sometimes people treat you differently because you look different from them."_

_"Was it because I have long ears?"_

Linkle rubbed at her ears. What was it about them that made the Humans hate her so? Their ears aside, no one would be able to tell her kind apart from the Humans.

Linkle would ponder this question until she finally went to sleep on the cold ground.

* * *

Linkle was awoken by the dumping of water on her face. She gasped, inadvertently drawing water into her airway. As she coughed, she was yanked to her feet by one of Philip's workers, having been freed of the handcuffs before she was woken up.

Linkle was taken to the front of Philip's house, where there was a crowd of Humans already waiting for her in a near circle formation.

And in the crowd, Linkle could see her mother and brother.

One of Philip's workers turned to Linkle's mother, and said,

"If you turn away, your son will be next."

"Mom?" Linkle called in vain.

Not even a second later, the girl was shoved roughly from behind, and fell forward onto her hands and knees before a foot was planted onto her back, forcing her onto her stomach.

As Philip held his slave down, he went on a long-winded speech about his daughter, Isabelle, and how Linkle wronged her with her with her act of "violence" and "aggression".

Philip finally released her.

"Remove her tunic and tie her to the pole." he instructed.

Linkle felt her tunic pulled off in one swift motion, leaving only her undergarments. A second shoved her towards a thick wooden pole with his foot, and a third grabbed her by the wrists, and pulled her arms around the pole, and tied them to it by rope. 

Her back faced away from the pole as she looked frantically over her shoulder, and spotted the long whip in Philip's hands.

"Mom!" she called as tears welled up, "Mom, help me!"

The _CRACK!_ sound the whip made after a test swing made her jolt.

"Mom!" she called again, sobbing, "Help me! Don't let him hit me, Mom! Please!"

Wasting no time, Philip stepped forward and lashed Linkle's bare back with the whip.

_CRACK!_

The shrill scream the girl let out was life a knife through her mother's heart.

"MOM!" she called again, and again.

Watching this, Link was reminded of the several times he was beaten this way himself. He would never forget the very first time he experienced this.

"Daddy!" Isabelle called.

Philip paused, "Yes, dear?" he panted.

"Let _me_ whip her!" she said as she held out her hands as if expecting a present.

"Of course. Here."

During the pause, Linkle cracked her eyes, and looked at her mother, the one person who was always there when she needed her.

Why was she standing there?

Why was she letting this happen?

_CRACK!_

She screamed again.

"STOP!" she shouted, "STOP, PLEASE!"

The lashing continued for another five minutes. By now, anyone who had been keeping count had either lost it, or lost interest. 

"I'M SORRY!" Linkle finally shouted, "I'M SORRY!"

Isabelle stopped the lashing and looked at her father.

"I'm done!" she announced proudly.

"Are you sure?" Philip asked.

"M-hm!"

He glanced at a worker, "Get the bucket." 

He glanced at another worker, "Untie her."

The second Linkle hit the ground, her mother rushed to her side.

"My baby..." she whispered as she desperately embraced her daughter.

Philip walked over to the two.

"Let her go."

Linkle's mother froze upon hearing the command. She glanced up at him, hoping desperately that she had misheard.

"Don't make me repeat myself." he told her.

Before she could even consider the command, Philip spoke again.

"No. Better yet... Give her to me."

Her head lowered, Linkle's mother rose to her feet.

"Mom?" Linkle voice trembled as she felt herself being pulled up, "Mom, no... MOM!"

She grabbed onto her mother's wrists, "MOM, PLEASE! DON'T!

Philip pulled her towards him by her hair, turned, and tossed her back onto the first ground beneath.

"Dump it on her!"

Two workers then dumped a large bucket full of mud, trash, and pulp made from rotten food on top of her.

Philip lowered himself beside her, "Your punishment isn't over yet. You deserve to be embarrassed the same way my daughter was."

"That's right!" Isabelle added, "Now get up and oink for me, like a pig!"

Linkle moved to stand when she was shoved back down to the ground by Isabelle.

"No, stupid!" she exclaimed, "On your hands and knees!"

She watched as Linkle moved to obey her command, when an idea crept into her mind.

"Wait!"

Isabelle cleared the gunk off of Linkle's back as best she could...

...then climbed on top of her.

She laughed, "You certainly look like a pig too! Especially with those long ears! Now walk!"

Struggling under both the added weight and the added pain in her back, as she crawled like she was told to do.

"Now say 'oink'!"

Linkle paused.

"I said say 'oink'!" Isabelle repeated. She reached over and slapped the muddied girl in the face as an added exclamation to her command.

"...Oink..." Linkle barely squeaked.

"Now keep walking!"

Link watched on, his fists trembling, and his mouth agape in disbelief at was he was seeing. Were these people really that sick to stand and watch this?!

"Now go to your ugly mom!"

As tears fell from her eyes to moisten the dirt below, Linkle obeyed yet another horrific command.

"Now say oink!"

"Oink..."

Isabelle yanked at Linkle's mother.

"Pet her."

The woman's eyes widened as she stared at nothing in particular.

"Do it." Philip ordered, "Or I'll make _you_ beat her next."

Linkle's mother rose a trembling hand, and aided in her daughter's public humiliation. She lowered her head and broke into tears.

This humiliation would continue. Linkle was ordered to go around to several Humans in the audience, and act like a pig. The Humans would react by petting her, and even hitting her, belittling her as they did so for her supposed crime.

Soon, after what felt like hours, the punishment ceased, and the crowd began to disperse.

Isabelle rose off of Linkle's back and kicked her to the ground before she and her father went on their way.

Linkle and her mother worked that day, and said nothing to one another through the following night. Link couldn't possibly recall a time when his mother and sister were this quiet around one another. The silence would linger through the following morning, and into the workday.

Linkle had been placed with Link again, the two being given the job of trimming a section of Philip's large crop field. 

He would glance over at his sister from time to time, until the two were eventually separated mid-job.

Link knew the day would come when the life they lived would finally break his sister. But he'd never imagined it would happen like this.

"HEY!" 

Link and his surrounding co-workers paused, and turned to the direction of one of Philip's workers rushing toward Linkle. The man snatched Linkle's scythe from her the second he approached her, then kicked her to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she shouted.

"What's going on?" asked another worker as he and a second jogged toward the developing situation.

"This little bitch just tried to cut her ear off!"

Link watched on in shock. His sister rose and sat on her calves, her head lowered as the Humans above her began a discussion on what to do next.

"Come on." a worker directed as he slapped Linkle over the head.

As instructed, the girl rose to her feet, and left with two workers.

"What're you all looking at?!" the third shouted, "Get back to work!"

* * *

Link wouldn't see his sister again until much later, even after their mother had returned. The girl had a bruise around her left eye.

"What happened?!" asked her mother.

"They moved me to the restaurant. The owner hit me because I wasn't moving fast enough."

The restaurant Linkle was referring to was an eating establishment in the village just a little ways away from Philip's land. The man in the suit who came to see Linkle in Philip's backyard was the village's mayor.

Silence ensued, until after the slaves had finished their share of the slop they were given.

"I saw you at Philip's house." Linkle's mother told her, "Why were you moved to the restaurant?"

Silence...

"She tried to cut her ear off." Link told his mother.

Linkle froze.

"You did what?!"

Linkle lowered her head in guilt.

"Just part of it..." she admitted.

Her mother stared in shock, "But why?"

"Well-...you said the Humans treated us differently, and-..."

She sobbed.

"I don't wanna be different anymore!" she said as she broke into tears, "I hate being like this!"

Linkle's mother took her daughter into her arms. She had no idea what to say to any of this.

* * *

The next day was, again, silent. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, and mockingly promised a lovely day the those it shone on.

Link and his family were now entirely separated. Though, at this point, it made no difference if they were together or not. The life they lived had finally beaten them all down almost beyond repair. It would take more than just each other's company to fix that.

The silence continued well into the night. Not a sound was made aside from idle chatter amongst some of the slaves.

" _There_ you are!"

Linkle's head rose for the first time that night to see Isabelle standing near the open entryway to the shed, accompanied by Philip.

"I saw you at the restaurant in the village, so I thought I'd pay a visit. You remember me right? Oink, oink?"

Linkle lowered her head again, mentally preparing herself for more insults.

"Well don't be rude! C'mere!"

Linkle looked up at the girl, confused.

"I said come on." she repeated sternly, "Stand in front of me."

The girl obliged. She stared at the wooden floor between as she awaited her next command.

"You know," Isabelle began, "my feelings are still pretty hurt from when you pushed me into that mud puddle."

Silence...

"I think you owe me an apology."

"But I already apologized." Linkle forced herself to say.

"Then apologize again!" Isabelle shouted, "And this time I want you to do it on your hands and knees, and at my feet."

Link watched on with a grimace on his face as Linkle followed her command.

"I'm sorry." she said.

Isabelle put her foot on Linkle's back and giggled.

"This is fun, Daddy!"

" _Hey_!"

Everyone in the shed turned their attention toward Link who was now on his feet with his fists balled.

"Leave her alone!"

Isabelle frowned, "Mind your own business, you ugly Elf!"

She turned her attention back to Linkle, "Now kiss my feet."

No sooner than anyone can respond, Link rushed at Isabelle, cocked his arm back...

...and punched the girl in the face, as hard as he could.

Time seemed to slow to a near standstill as the force from the blow sent Isabelle onto her bottom. The sound of her hitting the floor shattered the stunned silence.

Isabelle sobbed twice, before she broke into tears and cried openly.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"

Philip rushed into the shed, and swung a fist of his own at Link, knocking him to the floor.

"NO!" his mother shouted as he continued to pound away at her son. She rushed forth and grabbed his arm, only to be punched herself. The second she hit the ground, she was back up, blood running from her nose down to her chin. 

"STOP!!" she screamed at him.

Philip turned, and landed a blow on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"MOM!" Linkle screamed.

By now, Link was back to his feet, but was met with another fist that knocked him back down to the ground. Link covered his head as the fists rained down, when Philip answered by kicking him in the stomach.

Linkle was now crying openly, along with Isabelle.

Philip picked Link up by his tunic, and slammed him against the wooden floor. He picked him back up, and then flung him into a wall. The second Link rebounded, he was met with a punch that broke his nose. Philip lifted him by his tunic, and dragged him to the exit.

"Isabelle," he said, "let's go."

"NO!" Link's mother screamed, "He's just a boy! Don't hurt him! _NO_!"

"YOU!" Philip shouted at Linkle, "Follow me."

Linkle's mother quickly wrapped her arms around her.

"No!" she yelled, "You already punished her!"

Philip dropped Link, and rushed over to his mother. She turned her back to him, hoping desperately to protect her daughter from more punishment. 

Philip yanked at her hair from behind, the used his other hand to grab at her throat.

"Let _go_ , you bitch!"

He snatched Linkle from her mother's arms, and flung her toward the door to the shed. 

Linkle heard her mother cry and beg desperately for her children as Philip and Isabelle left the shed. He picked Link back up by his shirt as he writhed in pain on the ground just a few feet away.

"Let's go!" he ordered her.

_To be Continued!_


	3. Goodbye; Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Linkle's mother concocts a plan to save her children from their lives as slaves.

Hyrule was ruled by a man named Ganondorf.

  
Five-hundred years ago, Ganondorf usurped the king of Hyrule, and gave the Humans control over the kingdom. To this day, the Humans continue to worship him as if he were a god. Humans learn of him via the Book of Dragmire, a historical account of Ganondorf's deeds that led to the Humans taking control over Hyrule. Beneath him were five individuals who served as his sword and shield. These individuals were referred to as the "Five Saints of Power". Most knew of their existence, but few knew their identities.

  
The "Five Saints" were originally "six". However, history recalls that the sixth Saint was killed nearly five-hundred years ago by she who was considered to be the enemy of Hyrule, and from him, stole an article powerful to destroy the entire kingdom.

  
None knew her name, but she is referred to as the "White Sorceress".

  
Below the Saints, were five Humans who were essentially the personification of Hyrule's government. They were called the Disciples of Dragmire, and collectively, they were the public face of Hyrule's authority.

* * *

Linkle's sniffling was the only thing that broke the silence. She stared into darkness as she trembled from the cold it brought. 

  
How long had it been? How many hours? Was Philip ever going to let her out of there? Was she going to spend the rest of her life in this dark?

  
She decided not to ponder too much, lest she gnaw away at her own sanity.

  
After Philip took she and her brother away, he brought Linkle to one of his workers, and told him to bring her to a place known as "The Hole".

  
The Hole was simply that: a hole. Slaves were usually placed there for causing a great disturbance to Philip or another respected Human. None knew how far the darkness extended, but there had been reports of Keese within its reaches. Philip knowingly uses this to punish those he deems worthy, and he was using it to punish Linkle for "disturbing" Isabelle.

  
Where Philip took her brother, she did not know. No matter how much time had passed, though, that was the one thing that worried her the most.

* * *

For hours, Philip beat Link mercilessly. He beat him any way he could, whether he used his fist, a rock, or even some of his tools. He even stabbed him several times. He looked to torture the boy any way he could, without killing him. After he was finished, he dragged Link's beaten, deformed body back to the shed, leaving a trail of blood behind, and flung his broken body toward the outside wall, electing to leave him there for his mother to find.

  
Every second was filled with intense agony for Link. He tried to move his arms to prop himself upward, but the pain weighed them down like a ton of bricks. Even the uneven earth beneath him assisted in his misery.

  
But his pain was miniscule in the face of his ever-increasing hatred for Philip; hatred for his daughter; hatred for all Humans.

  
If only he were stronger...

  
Yes...if he was bigger...stronger...he would put those animals through the very same pain they put him through.

  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Link knew very well it was likely Philip, back to inflict more pain and punishment on him. Perhaps he was here to finally kill him...

  
The footsteps paused.

  
Who was this? What did they want?

  
Was it his mother? Did she leave in the middle of the night to look for him?

  
Whoever it was, they continued their approach until the were standing over him. By now, Link could see their shadow. They were shorter than both Philip and his mother, but taller than Linkle. 

  
The mystery person lowered themself and reached out. Link could feel person touch him, yet their touch brought no pain. Through his swollen eyelids, he could see a face that looked like it belonged to a girl. The glowing of their violet eyes only added another question mark to their identity. The person lifted Link's body, and brought him close, cradling him, and handling him with such care that, if he couldn't already see her, he'd confuse her with his mother. Link's pondering was interrupted when he felt something wet land on his face. Through his swollen eyelids, he couldn't see exactly what was happening, but he knew that the person was either drooling on them...

  
...or they were crying...

  
As he was pulled into a gentle, painless, embrace, he felt his head land on the person's chest.

  
Yep. Definitely a girl.

  
"How could they do this to you..." a soft, sad, voice pondered. She continued as she pulled away to look at him. "You poor thing..." 

  
She embraced him again, "Everything's gonna be okay." she told him, "I'm here for you."

  
Link was startled by the gentle blue light that enveloped his body. Then shocked to feel the pain gradually receeding. After moments of silence, the pain finally subsided, and the glowing, dimmed. He felt himself pulled into a third, much tighter, embrace.

  
"I can't leave you here." she said, "I can't." 

  
She seemed to ponder for a moment.

  
"I'll have to see if I can get **her** to let you stay in the **village**."

  
She tightened her embrace.

  
"At least then I know you'll be safe until **we** need you."

  
Link was surprised that the girl then leaned down and kissed his forehead. She pulled away to look at him...

  
...to see the boy awake, staring at her with wide eyes and a redened face.

  
She froze.

  
"Oh! Uh...hello. M-Man, this is one weird dream you're having, huh?"

  
Link replied, "I know I'm not dreaming."

  
"Deh-...uh..."

  
Link rose to sit up. Apparently the girl had placed him on her lap.

  
"Who are you?" he asked.

  
"Um...can you keep a secret?"

  
"...Sure..."

  
The girl spoke in a whisper, "My name is Lana. You may have heard of me. People call me the 'White Sorceress'."

  
Link froze. Yes, he had heard of the White Sorceress. And he was also told that there was a reward for whoever reported a sighting of her."

  
"What are you doing here?" he asked.

  
"I always come here."

  
Link blinked in confusion, "But why? And why did you help me? H-How did you help me?"

  
Lana smiled at him, "I come here to see you. You usually happen to be hurt somehow when I do, so I help you out. As for how, well, that'd take too long to explain."

  
"...How long have you been doing this?"

  
"Since you were a baby."

  
"Why have you been doing this? Do you know me? Or my mom?"

  
"No, I don't know your mom. I want to though."

  
Lana hugged him again, "She's pwetty wucky to be awound such a cutie pie wike you!"

  
Link shoved himself away, "Stop! Why do you keep doing that?"

  
"No reason." she lied, "Anyway, I care a lot about you. That's why I come here."

  
"If you care about me, why not get me out of here?"

  
"...It's not that simple."

  
She pulled him closer, and whispered, "You have a lot of eyes on you."

  
"What?! What eyes?"

  
"It might scare you if I tell you. But anyway, if I take you out of here, they'll be looking high and low for you. It would be too dangerous. That's why you have to stay here."

  
Link slumped his shoulders, and lowered his head alongside them.

  
"But don't worry!" Lana continued, "I'll always be here to protect you, as best that I can."

  
"Then-...can you help my sister?"

  
"What?"

  
"My sister. Philip took her to a place called 'The Hole'. It's-"

  
"I know where it is. You get sent down there pretty often." Lana sighed, "I wouldn't normally do something like this unless it's you, because I can't let anyone see me. But for you...okay."

  
Link leaned and wrapped his arms around the sorceress.

  
Lana smiled as she returned the gesture, "Aw. You care more about your family more than you let on, do you?"

  
Link ignored the question as he pulled away. "By the way," he began, "when you thought I was sleep I-"

  
"Sorry for kissing you!" Lana interrupted, "I've been looking after you so long, I-"

  
"Not that." Link cut in, "Who's 'we'?"

  
"'We'?"

  
"The person you had to ask to-"

  
"Ooh. Just a friend of mine!"

  
"Do they come here, too?"

  
"No, **she** doesn't. I have to go now."

  
Lana hugged him for the umpteenth time, and set him on the ground next to her. She rose to her feet and went on her way.

  
"It was nice formally meeting you. I'll come and see you again, just not when you're awake. Bye!"

  
And with that, Lana went on her way, in the direction of The Hole.

  
What a weirdo. Link thought. Though he was very thankful to that "weirdo". He would spend the next hour debating on whether or not to go inside and sleep next to his mother. Eventually, he would decide against it - suddenly appearing after being taken away by Philip may cause too much of a stir so late at night. He elected to sleep where he was.

* * *

" _LINK_!"

  
Link had returned to the tool shed early in the morning, where some of the slaves, including his mother were already awake. Though Link's physical wounds had healed, the evidence remained on his clothes, bloods stains, tears (rips), and all.

  
"Are you all right?!" his mother asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?!"

  
"I'm fine." Link answered, "Did Linkle come back yet?"

  
"No. I'm worried about her."

  
Then, as if on cue, Linkle walked through the door to the shed.

  
" _Mom_!" she shouted excitedly.

  
The two rushed into an embrace with one another.

  
Link approached the two, curious. "Linkle." he started, "Are you okay?"

  
Linkle turned to look at her brother, surprised to hear him ask about her well-being.

  
"What?" he asked.

  
"U-Um, yeah!" Linkle pulled away from her mother, "I've never felt better!"

  
The room filled with the vocal confusion of several of the other slaves.

  
"Let's sit you both down." their mother spoke.

  
The commotion over Link and Linkle woke the other slaves. By the time it was time for them to get ready for work, it felt like they had all been up for hours.

  
"By the way," Linkle said to Link before they left out, "Um..."

  
"What?" he asked.

  
"Well...I know it got you into a lot of trouble, but..." Linkle bowed, "Thank you for standing up for me yesterday!" she said quickly.

  
"Sure."

  
"And...um..."

  
Link turn to her, "What is it?"

  
Linkle quickly kissed him on the cheek and sped away.

  
" _UGH_!" Link shouted as he scrubbed his face with his hand.

  
The rest of the day progressed as normal, at least to the standards of the slaves. 

  
After work, Link would wait for Linkle to arrive back in Philip's territory before returning home.

  
Silence ensued between the two, as it usually did on their way home, only interrupted by the random chater of other slaves they past.

  
"Hey." Link spoke to her suddenly.

  
"Hm?" 

  
"You seem pretty happy since last night."

  
"Yeah! I don't know what it is, but I woke up feeling great this morning!"

  
Link turned away, wondering what Lana did when she was with his sister.

  
"Brother?"

  
"Hm?"

  
"I don't mean to sound weird, but...you've never talked to me this much before."

  
Link looked away, "So?"

  
"Well...did you come and protect me from the monsters last night?"

  
"What?"

  
"Well, I can't think of what else it could be. I asked Mom this morning, and she said no."

  
"Well, it wasn't me."

"Okay."

* * *

Late that night, Link separated himself, and situated himself outside, where Philip had left him beaten just a day ago. He wondered if Lana would appear to him again if he stayed awake long enough. 

  
Though, he would have to work the next day, so that probably wouldn't be the best idea.

  
Besides, Lana appearing to him the previous day was simply an accident. She said herself that she would only appear to him when he was asleep.

  
Link's ear twitched at the sound of footsteps to his left. 

  
Link and his mother made eye contact as she emerged from around the corner. Neither one shared a word, even as she sat beside him.

  
"Link."

  
"Hm?"

  
"...I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for being such a bad parent."

  
Link didn't respond.

  
"...I'm supposed to be the one protecting you and your sister...but you've both been through so much over the last few days...usually right in front of me... But now I'm going to do just that."

  
Link gave his mother a questioning glance. She turned to meet his gaze, and whispered:

  
"We're leaving. Tonight."

  
Link gasped, "What?!"

  
"Sh!" Link's mother looked around, "I just wanted to let you know that."

  
His mother rose to her feet, and returned to the shed as he watched on, wide-eyed. His first thoughts were of what Lana told him the previous day.

  
_"You have a lot of eyes on you."_

  
What eyes? Who was she talking about?

  
_"It might scare you if I tell you."_

  
Who would be watching him that he would be scared of? He didn't understand any of it...

  
His next thought was what they would do in the fields of Hyrule. Even he knew there were monsters scattered across those plains. How were they supposed to protect themselves from them?

  
Lana...

  
Yes...Lana could protect them...

  
_"...they'll be looking high and low for you."_

  
But who, exactly, are "they"? Philip and and some other people? How were they doing to find them? And Lana seems to always know where he was, so maybe she could find them and help them escape.

  
_"I'll have to see if I can get her to let you stay in the village."_

  
And, apparently, there was a village she knew of where he'd be safe. She could take them there.

  
The sudden revelation of his mother's plans left Link's mind racing into the late hours of that night. His mother never so much as hinted at falling asleep. 

  
Sooner than Link could prepare for, it was time.

  
"Link." his mother whispered, "Get up."

  
Link rose to sit straight as his mother proceeded wake his sister.

  
"Hm?" Linkle murmured groggy.

  
"Sshh." her mother told her, "Get up."

  
"But it's still dark outside." she replied.

  
"Just get up."

  
The three left the shed, and silently rushed to the nearest bundle of trees.

  
"Linkle," her mother began, "it's very important that you do what I say, when I say it. No questions. Understand?"

  
"M-hm." she nodded nervously.

  
"Alright."

  
Link and Linkle's mother lowered herself in front of her children, "We're leaving this place." she began, "I'm gonna get you two some food, and then we're gonna head south, and out of Hyrule."

  
"What'll we do after that?" asked Linkle.

  
"It doesn't matter - we'll be free to do whatever we want. No more working for bad people like Philip, no more bad food, none of that. It'll just be us three. Is that what you want?"

  
"Y-Yeah."

  
"Good. Then let's go."

  
As the three proceeded to Philip's house, it began to rain. Link and Linkle's mother had them move faster, knowing that, if they take too long, they'll end up leaving a trail. The three approached a bunch of dense greenery yards away from Philip's abode.

  
"You two stay here." the siblings' mother directed, "When I get back with the food, we're going to run. And make as little noise as possible. Understand?"

  
The siblings nodded.

  
"Good. I'll be right back."

  
The mother gave a glance to each of her children when she noticed the fearful expression on her daughter's face. She smiled.

  
"I'll be fine," she told her, "so don't worry."

She gave her daughter a parting kiss on the forehead before setting off, running into what may as well be enemy territory.

  
Time seemed to slow to a snail's pace as the pair awaited their mother; seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes felt twice as long. Every so often, Link would glance around at their surroundings, ensuring that no one was watching them, whether they be other slaves or a Human who was still on Philip's land for some reason. Linkle, on the other hand, glued her eyes to the large house in front of them, worried for her mother.

  
Eventually, she appeared from around the house, running at them at full speed. She signaled for her children to stand.

  
_BANG!_

  
The loud sound startled the siblings, and destabilized their concentration on their mother, and the directions they were to follow. Within the next second, their mother's body had fallen forward, and landed on the ground. She made no effort to get up.

  
Linkle, having had no idea what the sound was, thought to rush out into the open, to check on her mother.

  
Link, who knew full well, had begun to panic. From his crouched position, he looked frantically for the source of the sound that was sure to have woken Philip. Those few seconds of mental disorientation were why he made no effort to stop his sister from rushing out into full view of who or whatever was out there.

  
"Mom!" she shouted as silently as she could, "Get up! We gotta run!"

  
That was when a mystery figure appeared.

  
Because this figure didn't appear out of the house ahead, Link's first thought was that this person was Lana. That was why he didn't immediately put two and two together.

  
A flash of lightning illuminated the area for a split second; long enough for Linkle to see the blood covering her mother's face. She screamed.

  
"Mom!" she yelled, shaking her mother's body violently, "MOM, get up!" She froze as the shadow stood over her.

  
" _Hm_..." the figure seemed to muse. 

  
Linkle looked behind her, at the source of the voice. It was difficult to tell, but it was a man standing over her. He wore a skin-tight, white attire, paired with what looked like a red cape.

  
The man continued, "A 'gun', is it?" He turned his wrist, inspecting the weapon closely, "This weapon is much too loud for my liking. Though, I will say the projectile is much faster." He looked down at Linkle's mother, "And the wound is much cleaner... Very well. I think I'll-"

  
The man was interrupted by the angered shout of Link, who had emerged from the greenery, and leapt at the stranger, looking to attack.

  
That was when the man vanished.

  
Link landed on his hands and knees, his attack only meeting a cloud of what appeared to be scarlet-colored diamonds.

  
" _BAH_ , HA, HA, HA, HA!!"

  
Both Link and Linkle were stunned to see the man appear behind Link.

  
"Did you truly think you could hit me with a pathetic attack like that?!"

  
With an inconsolable grimmace on his face, Link sprung to his feet, and went for a second attack. The man easily dodged, and grabbed the boy by the throat, and lifted him off his feet.

  
"BROTHER!" Linkle screamed. She rose to her feet, and froze when she met the eyes of the man who towered over her...

  
The man who had murdered her mother...

  
"Would you like to dance, too?" he asked.

  
The girl stared, wide-eyed, when a groan from her brother freed her from her fear-induced trance. 

  
"P-Put my brother down!" she demanded.

  
"Or what?" the man asked as a sadistic smile spread across his face.

  
Just then, a second figure appeared. With a leap into the air, they landed a swift kick to the man's face, hard enough to send him flying. 

  
The man released Link on contact. The boy fell to the ground, clutching at his throat as he coughed violently.

  
"Brother!" Linkle called as she rushed to his side.

  
The mysterious second figure turned to look at Link, when the two made eye contact. Link froze.

  
It was Lana!

  
"Get up." she instructed silently, "I need you two to get away from here, now!"

  
"No..." Link told her, "We're getting out of here..."

  
"I told you already, you can't do that!"

  
Lana turned to face the man as he rose to his feet.

  
"You...!" he growled. Suddenly, he paused.

  
"You're that sorceress, aren't you? The one who stole **Majora's Mask**..."

  
Lana watched the man as she continued to speak to Link, "I'm sorry," she said, "but you can't leave. Go back home!"

  
"No!" Link shook his head stubbornly, "We're gonna leave and-"

  
"Get real!" Lana yelled at him, "You're just a child! What are you gonna do by yourself?!"

  
"Brother," Linkle spoke up, "she's right - it's too dangerous."

  
Lana continued, with the words that would ultimately convince Link to turn back.

  
"They may need you, but they don't need your sister! Think about how your actions will effect other people!"

  
The man Lana was still watching, watched on, a ghoulish grin. He had seen enough.

  
"That boy..." he began, "That's Link, isn't it?"

  
Link and his sister now had their startled gazes locked on the man as he continued.

  
"That's why you're being so protective of him." He rose a hand to face level, his fingers in position to snap. "I may not be a match for you with that mask in your possession, but I believe my master would be pleased to learn that you were seen in this area."

  
And with that, the man vanished.

  
Lana sighed. With the threat gone, she turned her attention to Link and Linkle.

  
"Who was that?" Link asked as she approached.

  
"His name is Ghirahim." Lana answered, "Remember when I told you you have a lot of eyes on you? That's one of them. He's one of the people who'll be looking for you if you were to escape.

  
Link balled two fists full of the moistened dirt beneath him, as the ongoing rain began to wash away his hopes of escaping.

  
He knew now that he would never be able to escape the life he was trapped in.

  
"Who are you?" Linkle asked.

  
"I can't tell you." Lana replied, "I'll take your mother's body with me. If the Humans find her, she won't even get a proper burial." Lana propped the woman in question onto her back. "You two head back home. Those Humans in that house are pretty deep sleepers, but they won't be asleep forever." Lana carried the siblings' mother's body away, and left the pair alone with the emotional trauma these events have caused.

  
"Let's go..." Link told his sister, sounding defeated.

  
_To Be Continued!_


	4. Goodbye; Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Linkle do their best to move on from their mother's death.

Not every Hylian in Hyrule is a slave. Of the three parties of free Hylians, the most notable example is the Royal Family of Hyrule, who continue to exist, even after nearly five-hundred years. Thanks to the efforts of Princess Zelda of Old Hyrule, the Royal Family was spared the the fate shared by the commonfolk. The Family was currently making moves toward liberating the native Hyrulean people. Despite this not being known by anyone outside the Family, many slaves who were knowledgeable about the happenings of the kingdom had faith in this version of the Royal Family, despite there currently only being four of them. They believed this because they thought the Family to be bitter after the Royal Massacre sixteen years ago.

* * *

During the ensuing hours of the night, the reality of their recent happenings had finally set in, especially for Linkle, who, along with her brother, now found herself without a mother. She stared into the space that was previously occupied by her mother, as tears rimmed her eyes. She sobbed silently, suppressing her voice as best she could, so as to not disturb anyone.

  
After work, during the night of the next day, Philip approached the siblings, asking about their mother's whereabouts.

  
"I don't know." Link lied, "We woke up this morning, and she was gone."

  
"You'd better not be lying." Philip responded.

  
"If we knew she was leaving, don't you think we would left with her?"

  
Philip slapped the boy across the face.

  
"Don't take that tone with me!" he shouted at the boy.

  
The Human stormed out of the tool shed.

  
"Are you okay?" Linkle asked her brother.

  
Link retreated to their corner, and lied down, ignoring his sister. All he wanted to do at this point was sleep, and forget the pain the last twenty-four hours brought.

* * *

The hours went by, yet sleep withheld its visit, leaving only thoughts of hatred to fester his mind. Hatred of Philip; hatred of all Humans; hatred of his own life; hatred of-

  
Link's thoughts were interrupted by a warmth that suddenly appeared on his back. He turned his head to look behind him, causing his sister to pause, halting her attempt to curl close to him.

  
"What are you doing?" he asked silently.

  
Linkle hesitated, "Well...I..."

  
Unable to find an answer, the girl retreated a few inches away, near the spot her mother used to occupy.

"Sorry." she told him.

* * *

The effect that Link and Linkle's mother "leaving" was felt by more than just the siblings. Philip now found himself without a housekeeper, and even more than that, it would damage his pride if he were to not be able to retreive her.

  
The previous night, Philip sent word of his situation to Lurelin Village - the nearest major village. Because Philip was a respected figure in that region of Hyrule, his assistance would arrive near noon the next day. 

  
A man named "Hunter" would appear at Philip's abode. With him were two large dogs.

  
"Thank you for coming." he told the stanger, "I've had slaves try to escape before, but they've always left a trail of some sort. I've had friends from the nearby village search for her, but they've found nothing."

"Not to worry," Hunter responded. He acentuated his next statement with an affectionate tap to the dogs standing on either side of him, "These two will find her. And when they do," Hunter reached into his pocket to expose a gun, "I'll see to it that she gets proper punishment."

"That brings me to my request: try to bring her to me alive, if you can."

"Why?"

Philip lowered his head slightly to chuckle, "Hunter, my friend...there are fates in this world much worse than death. And I plan to show some of them to her once she's found."

* * *

That afternoon, Link situated himself against a wall near the corner, his dejected gaze aimed at the door of the tool shed, hoping, in vain, that his mother would walk in from outside. As time went by, the boy lowered his head, realizing how silly this was. His mother was gone. He needed to accept that. Nothing he-

"Brother?"

Link was roused from his wallowing by the sight of his sister. She held her hands behind her back as she stood before him.

"What?" he asked.

With a smile, Linkle revealed a white flower, the same kind she had gotten her mother. "Here!" she gushed, "I just wanted to say sorry. I've been so sad lately, I haven't thought that you were sad, too! Sorry for being selfish."

Link looked at the flower, then up at his sister.

"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"W-Well...it's pretty!"

"So?"

"U-Um," Linkle stammered as her smile began to fade, "It's supposed to make you feel better."

"Well it's not going to."

Linkle lowered her outstretched hand, "Okay..." The girl turned to leave outside, to dispose of the flower. "Sorry..." she said just before vanished from view. 

"There's one of them."

Linkle froze. In front of her were Philip, another Human, and two creatures she had never seen before.

They must be monsters... And if they were monsters....

Did she do anything wrong? Did Isabelle lie on her again? Were they going to hurt her again?

"Bring your brother out here." Philip ordered.

Fear of the unknown gripped the girl's body, but not so much that it made her risk Philip's wrath. She obeyed her order, and brought Link outside, where the two were led to a bundle of trees outside of Philip's house, where Lana had carried the siblings' mother's body before she seemed to vanish.

"We followed your mother's trail here." Hunter told the two, "Where it vanishes. I'm going to ask you two some questions, and I want you to answer me with the truth. Where did your mother go?"

"We don't know." Link told him, "We woke up and she was-"

"I wasn't asking you." Hunter interrupted. He looked at Linkle, "I was asking _you_."

Linkle's body stiffened in that instant, her eyes widening in surprise. Hunter smirked. That was just the reaction he was looking for.

"Come with me." he directed. He looked over at Link, "And you. Stay in that spot, or your sister'll pay dearly for it."

Link frowned at the man. He didn't even slightly trust Linkle in this situation. He knew that, even though it their mother's choice to try and escape, and not their's, they would both be punished anyway.

Linkle was taken around Philip's house, and to his backyard, the same place she was taken to before she was punished for the incident with Isabelle. Hunter extended his arm, prompting Philip to pause, while Linkle continued ahead, unaware.

A single whistle stopped the girl in her tracks.

"Sick 'er."

Linkle had just barely turned to face the two with her when she saw the two dogs charge at her at full speed. With a scream, she turned, and ran away as fast as she could. In seconds, the animals caught up to her. Linkle turned her head, to look behind her, and was tackled to the ground, landing on her back after a futile struggle.

After a second whistle, Hunter ordered the would-be attack off.

Linkle panted hard. By now, she had her arms raised in defense, covering her tear-soaked face. Hunter would approach her while the two dogs stood over her menacingly.

"Get up." he ordered.

Linkle rose to her feet, inadvertently wiping dirt of her face as she wiped her tears.

"Now tell me," he started, "where did your mother go?"

Linkle sniffed, "I don't know." she told him.

"Did she say anything to you the last time you saw her?"

Linkle shook her head, "No."

Before he asked the next question, Hunter leaned forward, and whispered,

"I know you're lying."

Linkle felt her stomach drop. Who was this man? How did he know she was lying?

"And if you do it again," he told her, "I'm going to kill your brother."

Her eyes widened, and even her breath paused. This reaction wasn't one of fear, however...it was of relief.

_"They may need you,"_ she remembered Lana telling Link.

This told her that Hunter wouldn't lay so much as a finger on her brother, because Philip wouldn't let him...

...because he was needed.

Hunter was bluffing...and even a five-year old like her could see that.

"Did you help your mother escape?"

"No." Linkle answered.

Linkle was asked several more questions, and didn't give any information detrimental to she or her brother. With nothing they could do, Philip allowed Link and Linkle to return to the tool shed, while they continued the investigation into the sibling's mother's wherabouts on their own.

But, of course, they were unable to find her, or even a hint of her wherabouts. Seven years went by in a hurry, causing Philip to swallow his pride, and abandon his search, though, he still offered a reward to anyone who could find her.

Link, now fourteen, and Linkle, now twelve, sat on their calves in the mud, during a rain shower. The two, along with the rest of the slaves were taken to a trading post, as they always were once every month. During this event slaves were bought, sold, and traded to and from the Humans who owned them. Link remembered that every time he and his mother were brought here, she would make him hold her hand, while she prayed to the gods in hope of them staying together.

"Gods"...what an idiotic concept, Link had grown to think.

Link had always questioned the existence of these "gods", but after the death of his mother, he abandoned any belief in them whatsoever. If any god existed, they clearly cared nothing for him, or any of his kind.

Obviously, Link would not keep the tradition of holding hands with his sister. In fact, the two rarely spoke to one another - Link couldn't be bothered to, and Linkle would always feel guilty of disturbing her brother whenever she spoke to him. So she did so as little as possible.

Linkle's gaze dropped to the muddy ground below her. She wished she had worn pants like the male slaves got to, instead of a long tunic. 

"This one."

Link and Linkle glanced to their left, at a slave seated at Linkle's left, a girl around their age. She stood as Philip joined his fellow slave owner, and began talks of pricing.

Linkle looked over at her brother, and gave him a relieved smile. Link ignored her, and faced forward.

"This one."

The siblings froze before their gaze gravitated toward two men standing over the brother and sister.

"Oh!" the second Human chuckled, "She's a cute one. Nice pick!"

Link glanced at Linkle, then at the two in front of her, disbelief restraining any form of protest he would muster otherwise.

Philip approached the Humans, looked at Linkle and laughed, "Well, I must say, I'm curious how this'll turn out! I may have to pay a visit in a few years."

" _Hey_!" Link called as he rose to his feet. As attention was given to him, he paused before he blurted, "Buy me too!"

One of Linkle's potential buyers burst into laughter.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," the other said awkwardly, "but we only use female slaves right now."

"Where are you taking her?" Link asked.

The laughing Human ended his fit, "Philip, is it? Are you sure you have proper control over your slaves?"

"Of course I do!" Philip slapped Link on the back of his head, "Sit down, now!"

"NO!" Link screamed, shaking his head.

Philip turned to his customers, "If you'll excuse me, I have to deal with this one. She'll be ready for you to come and get her just after noontime."

"Well, she's the only new slave we could find, so we'll just head over to your place as soon as everything's done here, if that's okay."

"Very well."

The two hopeful buyers made their temporary leave, leaving Philip to deal with Link.

"Excuse me." called another Human as he approached.

Philip turned to face the man, and froze in his tracks upon immediately recognizing him.

"Y-You..." he stammered, "You're Thomas Grimshaw! The 'Elf Tamer'!"

Thomas chuckled, "I see my reputation precedes me."

"What are you doing here in Faron?" Philip asked, "I thought you lived in Lanayru!"

"I like to do shopping in other parts of Hyrule from time to time. I get plenty more customers that way."

This young man, Thomas Grimshaw, known across Hyrule as the 'Elf Tamer', was one who made a living "taming" slaves. On normal occasions, a customer would bring a slave to him, he would "tame" them, and then return said slave to their original owner. Not a single slave who was given to Thomas ever misbehaved again after being returned. When it came to this particular field, he was referred to as a "prodigy".

"I would like to take this one off your hands." Thomas told Philip, referring to Link.

The latter looked at Link, who shot icy daggers at him, then at Thomas. "Oh, really?" he responded.

Thomas nodded, "I was watching you two earlier, and I could tell that this one has heart like no other. He should be a great challenge for me."

"Hm...it's true that this one gives me lots of trouble. He's even layed hands on my daughter."

Thomas looked over at Link, "He must be a wild one."

"He is." Philip came closer to Thomas, and leaned toward him, "That's why I'm willing to give him to you for free."

"Free?"

"Yes. But on one condition...once you tame this little bastard, I want to see what he's like in person."

Thomas gave a half-smile, "I think I can arrange that."

The two shook hands.

"It's a deal, then." Philip told him.

The hours went by, and early morning turned into noon. Link and Linkle were brought home, and taken to a part of Philip's plantation that they had never seen before. 

What appeared to be a large, wooden house was where the soon-to-be-traded slaves were taken before they set off with their new owners. The building had two rooms: the first one, which was the room one walked into upon entering the only entryway, which was where Philip and the slave owners buying from him met to finalize purchases and trades, and the other, empty, cubic room, which was accessible only through a door on the opposite side of the entryway in the first room, where purchased and traded slaves awaited their new owners. It was where Link and Linkle were taken.

Linkle stared into space as somber silence filled the room. With a glance to her immediate right, she saw her brother with his chin to his chest. She forced a smile.

"Brother?"

Link looked at her.

"It might be awhile before we see each other again... But I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me after Mom died."

Link turned away to hide the bitter tears beginning to form in his eyes. Linkle mistook this as a gesture of annoyance. She continued regardless, trying her best to make him feel better.

"Um...I know I can be annoying sometimes, but-...well...I just wanted to say that I love you, and-...I know it wasn't much, but I'll always look back at my life with you and Mom fondly. And as long as I can do that, I'll be fine. So you don't have to worry about me anymo-"

"Stop talking." Link told her, barely keeping his voice together as his tears began to fall.

Linkle blinked her own tears away, and forced one final smile.

"I'll miss you."

Just then, the two men who had purchased Linkle walked into the room.

"Come on," one said, "get up."

The other watched silently as Link restrained his emotions.

"Hey!" 

He jumped.

"You coming?" the other Human asked rhetorically, as he led Linkle to the door.

"Yeah..."

Linkle followed along silently as she was led to a horse-drawn wagon outside, covered by a tarp.

"Hey," one Human called to another, "think James is gonna be pissed that we only found one?"

The other looked at Linkle, "Well...she's pretty cute, so I guess not. Besides, we aren't the only ones bringing back slaves, so it should be alright."

The two loaded Linkle onto the wagon, and situated themselves into the two seats up front.

"Hey..." one called again.

"What?"

"What you think about all this 'slave' business?"

"Uh...I dunno. I never thought about it. Why?

"...I think that boy that asked us to buy him was this one's brother."

"Heh - you mean them looking alike didn't already tell you that?"

"...He looked pretty sad."

"...So?"

"Well...I have a little sister too, back home. I couldn't imagine being a kid, and having to watch her be taken away, and never see her again. I guess I just feel bad, is all."

"Well, you'll get used to it. The money we're being paid should fill that void pretty nicely."

"...I'm starting to feel like this isn't the right thing to-"

"Hey, hey..." He looked around, "Don't let anyone hear you talking like that, man! You wanna be executed?"

"No."

"Okay, then. Let's just go, and we can talk about this later, okay?"

Linkle watched as her former home - where her brother was - move further and further away. She curled into herself, and rested her head on her forearms.

What was she going to do now? Her family was everything to her; the one thing that brought her joy, and now they're gone - stolen away by the horrid life they lived. 

She lifted her head. 

If there was one thing she learned over the last seven years, it was to always stay positive! It was just as she said to her brother: her memories of her family would get her by just fine! All she needed to do was hold onto them, and never, ever, forget.

Yes... And as long as she had those memories...nothing would ever bring her down.

* * *

Link was taken to a property in Lanayru, a province in eastern Hyrule. Thomas had both a research facility, and a school on his property. Both of which were operated by him.

In the research facility, Thomas would utilize his infamous "taming" methods on slaves hailing from different parts of Hyrule. He understood that the temperament of any given individual was determined by, not only their individuality, but by environmental influences - their owners, the slaves around them, even down to the geography of the places in which they lived; and that no two individuals reacted to the same stimuli in the same fashion. Using the different reactions of the slaves he experimented on, Thomas looked to develop a universal method of "taming" slaves; a single way of training them to be more docile that would work on any given slave.

In the school, and an expensive, top-rate one at that, Thomas would impart his concrete learnings from his experiments on Humans who had hoped to purchase slaves of their own.

Thomas' property was split into three segments: the first, smallest, segment was his research facility, which only certain individuals were allowed to enter; the second, was Thomas' school. And the third, largest, segment was a place called Lon Lon Ranch, ran by Talon, a Hylian man who was given his position thanks to the bargaining of his ancestors, who passed down knowledge of the secret recipe for Lon Lon Milk to each owner of the family-owned ranch. In exchange for making the milk, they were given back their ranch. However, sixty-percent of their profits were to go to the Human who owned the land the ranch occupied, which, in this case, would be Thomas. Their bloodline was able to continue due to a law put forth by the Disciples of Dragmire, that stated that the owner of the ranch was required to procreate with a family member of one of the Regional Lords, who were four, formerly noble, Hylian families, who were originally given back their estates and riches on the condition that they would take turns offering a family member to procreate with the Hyrulean prince or princess, in order to further the royal bloodline. Talon was also forbidden from ever feeding slaves.

From north to south, the order of the segments of Thomas' land by appearance were the school, the research facility, and Lon Lon Ranch. This layout birthed a theory of Thomas' that he looked to try on Link.

"I'm sure you know this by now." Thomas told Link once the two arrived at the facility, "But my goal here is to make you docile enough for any slave owner to be able to use you handily. But before I do anything, I want to give you one chance to avoid everything that's coming to you." Thomas place one foot forward.

"Kiss my foot," he said, "and call me 'master'."

Link's gaze morphed into one that burned of defiance.

Thomas chuckled, "I warned you."

The man placed his fingers near his mouth, and whistled. In seconds, a slave, a muscular, adult male, rushed into the room...

...on all fours...

Link watched on, visibly disturbed, as the man rose to a crouched position, stuck his toungue out, and panted, like a dog.

"When I first saw this one," Thomas explained, "I could see that he was a tough nut to crack, like yourself. But I only needed a week to turn him into this. And when I'm done with you, you'll be like this as well." Thomas looked down at his submissive slave, and pointed at Link, "Go say 'hi' to your new brother." he ordered.

Link flinched when the slave turned to face him. On all fours, he approached the boy, more than willing to follow his command.

"Stay away from me!" Link shouted as he stepped away.

Thomas chuckled again as his slave turned and looked at him.

"It's okay," he told him, "go back to your room."

The slave retreated on all fours, leaving Link to his horrified bewilderment.

"Your training will start tomorrow." Thomas told the boy.

Thomas had known all along that Link would refuse the "chance" given to him, for it was part of the theory he had hoped to exercise on Link.

First, he wanted to plant the seeds of submission; to give Link the idea that he could submit anytime he wanted, and his treatment would stop. He followed this by showing him one of his projects, a slave he had "tamed". This was to give Link a visual idea of what he was to do once he chose to submit.

Next, he would give Link free reign over both the facility, and the large field the preceded Lon Lon Ranch. Thomas had always loved the view of the field, particularly in the afternoon. Placing Link in this environment was nothing more than a mind game; a trick to manipulate his cognition of the "training" he was to receive. By being in this field, Link was expected to experience positive emotions, which was meant to sharply contrast his training, which Thomas had hoped would make Link view his training as worse than it actually was. This was expected to be magnified by the looming knowledge of what was to come. Thomas hoped that this would lead to a submission faster than the average time it usually took to tame a slave, which would serve to save time and resources once he implemented it into his teachings at his school. 

And if Link were to try to escape?

Thomas knew that a successful escape would never be a possibility, because in the day, his property was a high-traffic area, due to the differing roles of the three segments of his land. Should Link try to escape during the day, someone would be sure to see and report him.

And as for the nighttime...

With the copious amount of funds Thomas revceived from Lon Lon Ranch, he was able to pay for the services of a private security company, based in the nearby Orial Village. Their task was to ensure that none of his slaves would attempt an escape from his research facility.

Before Thomas made his leave, he gave Link a tour of the research center in which he would be living. It was a good sized building that consisted of seven rooms: one was, of course, the room one walks into immediately upon entry. Thomas would use this room whenever possible in order to sort the information he gleaned from his experiments. The slaves Thomas kept were sparated into two groups: those he owned, and those he was given to "tame" by other slave owners. Each group had their assigned room. The fourth and fifth rooms, respectively, were where the slaves were brought to releive themselves, and to bathe. And the sixth, largest, room was where Thomas conducted his experiments, or "taming", otherwise.

"I'm going to give you free reign of the place." Thomas told Link.

"Why?" the boy asked. His answer was a slap to the face.

"You don't speak unless you're prompted to." Thomas told him.

Link balled his fists in silent rage.

"What?" Thomas egged him, "Are you gonna try something, boy? 'Cause we can start your 'training' right now if you want."

Silence...

"That's what I thought. Anyway, you can go anywhere, in this building, or the field outside through the back door. Wander any further than that, and you will be punished. You're to come back by sunset, and you'll be sleeping in a cage in the room with the number 'three' on it. I'll let my guys know to check and see if you're where supposed to be after the sun sets. You're cage will be in your room by then. I'll see you tomorrow, when your training begins." 

And with that, Thomas made his leave of the building.

Link looked around. This "research center" was much cleaner than the tool shed he formerly called home. He explored the main room. Everything there was either locked or sealed, probably so the other slaves wouldn't mess with anything. Beyond the main room was a narrow hall, that led to four more rooms, numbered one through four. At the end of the hall was a second one that intersected the first, that had three doors. Two on either end, and one in the middle, which was the aforementioned back door. Link didn't bother to consider what the rooms beyond the fifth and sixth door looked like, as he rushed out of the back door, and was treated to the sight of an open field. It was raining, but not nearly as hard as it was back home...or...his former home.

The outside mud was soothing to Link's feet as he aimlessly wandered the field. Eventually, he came across a tree, with strange red orbs in its branches. He decided against touching them. Instead, the situated himself at the base of the tree, his back against the trunk, and began to sort through his thoughts, which inevitably gravitated toward his sister.

To say he was worried about her would be an understatement; he had no idea how the poor girl would manage by herself. And where was it she was taken? And what would she be doing there?

Link's thoughts were interrupted when the rain suddenly ceased. A glance upward revealed the sight of a girl holding a strange object (an umbrella) over his head. He immediately noticed her long ears.

"Hi there!" she greeted with a friendly wave.

Link stared, confused. If this girl wasn't a Human, why wasn't she dressed in a tunic like the other slaves were?

The girl opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by Link.

"Who're you?"

"Oh! My name's Malon! What's your name?"

Link looked her over, "Why are you dressed like that?"

"I'll answer if you answer my question first."

Link frowned, "It's Link."

Malon extended her hand, "It's nice to meet you, Link!"

"Why are you dressed like that?" he asked again.

"I'm not sure what you mean. My dad got me these clothes."

Link blinked, confused, "So you're not a slave?"

Malon pulled her hand away, "Well, technically, I am. But my family got to keep our home if we made Lon Lon Milk."

"What's that?"

"It's been my family's specialty for generations. Only we know how to make it, so that's why the Humans gave us our home back." 

"Oh."

Just then, Link's stomach growled.

Link froze as Malon giggled.

"Hungry?" she asked.

Link looked away, "Yeah..."

"I got just the thing for that!"

"What?"

"Look up."

Link glanced upward at the strange red orbs on the branches of the tree. "What are they?" he asked.

"They're _apples_ , silly! I came here to pick them! I'll give you some if you want!"

"...Sure."

With surprising agility, Malon climbed into the trees to gather the apples, managing to avoid getting her violet dress caught on the branches. After she was finished, the two sat together under the tree while Link ate away.

"I've never seen you here before." Malon told Link, "Are you new here?"

"Yeah."

"You must have seen so many different places!" Malon spoke excitedly, "What's it like?"

"Terrible."

"Huh?" Malon blinked, surprised, "Why do you say that?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh..."

Malon glanced over at him after a few seconds of silence. He had eaten the entire apple, even the core.

"Uh...you want another?"

"Yeah."

"You know," she continued as she gave him more food, "I was actually running late coming here." She chuckled, "But I guess it all worked out in the end, huh?"

"How's that?"

"Well, I've never met another person with long ears my age before, so I thought maybe we could be friends!"

Link looked over at her. She definitely seemed nice. And more importantly to him, if he befriended her, she'd be sure to feed him if he was ever hungry.

"Sure." he said.

The two parted ways once the sun began to set. But not before Malon told him when she usually came by to pick from the apple tree. 

As Link made his way back to his new home, he began to prepare himself mentally for what could come tomorrow. He knew he would never submit to Thomas; he knew he would never willingly cast away his dignity, no matter what went through. 

His dignity was all he had left at this point. And it would take more than what Thomas was capable of for him to give it away.

* * *

Linkle was taken to a property in Eldin in northern Hyrule, to what appeared to be a broken, worn-down estate. The estate's owner was a Human man named James. James' family lost the estate, and all their riches, to a fire a few decades ago. After being forcefully relocated, his family worked the rest of their lives trying to raise enough money to reclaim their former home. James was his family's only survivor, and the one who had successfully reclaimed his family's estate.

What James needed now was more money to renovate all the buildings in his estate. That was why he decided to begin buying female slaves, and opening a brothel, in hopes of profiting from the very lucrative sex market. He went out and bought a number of employees, along with a private security team, and had some of his employees first comb Hyrule for slaves sixteen years or older that they deemed "attractive". Next, James wanted to institute a training regiment for younger slaves, in hopes of bettering their "performance", and to get the slaves to be more receptive toward what would come to be their jobs. He would hire more employees for this specifically. James renovated what was formerly his family's living quarters to serve as the brothel. Slaves already working lived in the west side of the first floor, facing the building, and the slaves in training lived in the east. James and his employees all occupied the second floor. James' goal was to earn enough money to completely renovate his estate.

The man in question stood in front of what was formerly a fountain as he stared at the main building of his estate.

"James," an employee called to him.

James turned to face him.

"Another wagon just came in through the front gate."

"Understood." James responded, "I'll be waiting when they get here."

Linkle squinted at the light that emerged from outside when the tarp was opened.

"Come on out." she was directed.

Linkle obeyed her instructions, stepping out into the golden afternoon outside the wagon. She was surrounded by Humans she didn't bother to look at, when James approached her.

"Only one?" he asked two of his employees.

"Yeah, well, not too many people in Faron had female slaves."

Linkle stared at the ground, when James reached out, and lifted her head by her chin, startling her. He watched as she nervously avoided eye contact.

"You found a good one." he told his employees, "She's pretty, too. All right, move her into the east wing."

As this was the very first group of younger slaves that would be trained into their job, a relatively small amount of them were bought. As such, there were only enough to occupy one room in the east wing.

Linkle gazed at her surroundings in awe. She had never seen these decorations before. The floor was, instead of wood or dirt, an oddly soft material (carpet and rug) that felt uncomfortable on her battered soles. In the midst of her distraction, she bumped into the Human guiding her. He looked over at her, causing her to shield herself in preparation for punishment.

But it never came.

The Human waited for Linkle to uncover herself before he began.

"This is your room." he explained, "Go on, get in."

Linkle sheepishly made her way inro a room full of other girls, around her age. The room most notably featured two rows of six beds, with a dresser situated by each.

"Pick a bed," the Human continued, "James will be by in a minute."

As the man closed the door, Linkle and her fellow slaves stared at each other awkwardly, neither side knowing how to make.

"Hey!" one called, "What's your name?"

Linkle flinched, surprised at the sudden attention, "Um, Linkle."

"Aww," one responded, "that's so cute!"

The first girl spoke again, "There's only one available bed. It's over there." The girl pointed over at the second bed from the end of the right row. 

"Since everyone's here," girl continued, as Linkle moved to her bed, "We should all introduce ourselves. I'll start. My name's my name is Epha. I'm fourteen. And you all?"

"My name's Aesha." another said, "I'm thirteen."

"I'm Linkle!" Linkle forced herself to say, "I'm twelve!"

"'Twelve'?" Epha repeated.

"...Yeah?"

"Huh. I overheard the Humans say they wanted everyone here to be at least thirteen."

"I thought you looked pretty young." Aesha added.

"I'm twelve, too!" a girl blurted exitedly. She was the one closest to the right corner, seated next to Linkle.

"Are you gonna introduce yourself?" Epha asked.

"Oh, yeah! My name's Falla!'

The girls took turns introducing one another. As it turned out, Epha was the oldest, with Linkle and Falla being the youngest. After introductions were finished, the conversation was moved to what kind of work they would be doing there.

"Since no one knows," Aesha began, "Let's start by pooling our information."

"Uh.....what?" Falla asked.

"Let's share what we know about this place."

"Well," Epha began, "I was taken around the place."

"What did you see?"

"Well, the area's gated, so we're probably in a place not too many people come to."

"I see. Did they say anything to you?"

"Not directly. They did make a commotion about my age."

"And you just happen to be the oldest out of all of us... What else did they say?"

"That was it, really."

"Hm...so we were brought to a gated environment...brought to a relatively luxurious room...and they made it a point for most of us to be thirteen."

"Got any ideas?" asked Falla.

"No, not yet. We'll have to wait until we see some more of the area first."

"Well either way," Epha commented, "we'll find out eventually."

Just then, the door opened.

"Everyone up," a Human ordered, "we're about to go over some house rules."

The slaves were organized into a single file line before James made his way into the room, along with three women, and an overweight man, who's gaze made some of the slaves uncomfortable.

"It's time to explain some rules." James began, "You all have free reign of the east wing, and the garden out back. But the second floor, and the entire west wing are off limits. Anyone who breaks these rules will be punished. Harshly. Let me intriduce you to these three women, here."

The three women stepped forward.

"These three are here five hours a day. They're in charge of making sure you all aren't neglecting your hygene. If you need anything, they'll be here on the first floor. And this man here..."

The large man srepped forward.

"This is Oliver. He's the head of security here. Should any of you try to escape, he and his men will be in charge of bringing you to me. What happens between when they find you, and when I see you is up to them, and out of my control. So if they decide to rough you up because of the trouble you put them through, you only have yourselves to blame."

"What'll we be doing here?" Falla asked suddenly.

"Nothing. Just don't try to leave."

James' brief explanation of the rules concluded, leaving the girls with more questions than before. Where were they? And why were they there?

The answer to these questions would change the fate of the entire estate.

* * *

Under the course of a single day, Link and Linkle's entire worlds had been changed forever, now both separate, and different. Neither sibling knew if they'd ever see each other again.

However...in the larger world of Hyrule...

Two days after Link and Linkle were sold away...

Philip sighed, having finally finished his duties for the day.

"PHILIP!" one of his workers called, running.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Lord Ganondorf is here! He's asking to see you!"

Philip rushed to his home, to see the black carriage, led by the large black horse everyone knew to be Ganondorf's. And near it...

Philip froze, "Lord Ghirahim!"

A conceited smile spread across Ghirahim's pale face.

"Ah, so you know who I am?"

"Of course! I study the Book of Dragmire for a living!"

"As good as it feels to see one so wise to my glorious deeds, Lord Ganondorf is awaiting you inside the carriage."

"He doesn't want to come inside?" he asked, referring to his house.

"Apparently not. Go on, now, you mustn't keep him waiting."

"Er-, yes, of course!"

The inside of Ganondorf's carriage was very lowly lit, resulting in a thick tension upon Philip's entry inside. 

Philip had never seen Ganondorf before - he rarely left Hyrule Castle. The last recorded time he did was days after Link was born. As he saw him now, Ganondorf was a massive man, larger than any he had ever seen. All it simply did, though, was lend to his intimidating aura.

"Greetings, Lord Ganondorf! It is an honor to-"

"Sit."

"Y-Yes, sir."

"I heard you sold the boy."

"...Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Well...he gave me trouble with his rebellious nature, and I was certain the man I sold him to would be able to make him behave."

"Who did you sell him to?"

"A-A man named 'Thomas'. He lives in central Lanayru."

"...So you sold him to make him more submissive?"

Philip nodded, "Yes."

"How do you think that happens?"

"Well-...for someone like him, he would have to be beaten into submission."

"And what do you do when you hit a slave, and he still refuses to obey?"

"Er-...hit him harder?"

"And what would happen if the beatings go too far?"

Philip had no answer.

"Do you see what you did wrong, now?"

"...Yes..."

Ganondorf watched the man's posture switch to one that reflected guilt.

"If that boy is damaged beyond repair," Ganondorf began, "You will be executed. Am I understood?"

Philip bowed on his seated position, "Yes, sir."

"Now get out."

Philip watched the large carriage drive away, with Ghirahim following on foot.

For five-hundred years, Ganondorf was regarded to as a hero; a savior for all Humans.

But to Philip...he was puzzling, along with everything else.

Days after Link was born, Ganondorf appeared on Philip's property, and took the child away, much to the protest of his parents. After two years, the child was brought back, with no explanation whatsoever. He had never known what interest Ganondorf had in Link, nor what was so special about the boy to begin with, outside of a colossal attitude problem. And if he needed him for something, why didn't he come to see Link more often?

None of it made any sense...

_To be Continued!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for the introductory chapters. As of now, this story's going on break until I finish the next bunch of chapters.


End file.
